Rail-fastening means



E. I. DODDS.

RAlL FASTENING MEANS A P P L C A T I O N F l L E D A P R 8 I 9 2 0.

' 1,399,01 1. I Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

Uhiiififi STATES rare r Fe ish ETHAN I. DODDS, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO FLANNERY BOLT COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-FASTENING- MEANS.

Application filed April 8,

- To all whom it may concern:

Beit .known that T, ETHANI. Dorms, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Rail-Fastening Means; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in rail fastening means, one object of the in vention being to so secure a rail to a tie with the use of a spike as to provide a yield ing or movable connection between the rail and the spike when the pressure andjar of a moving train subject the rail to a vibratory action. and thereby prevent the spike from being loosened by such jarring or vibratory action of the rail.

\Vith this and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a view partly in section, showing an embodiment or" my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the connecting plate shown in Fig. 1; Fig 3 is a view of a modification; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the connecting plate shown in Fig. 3, and Figs. 5 and 6 are views of threaded spikes which may be employed.

1 represents a railroad tie, and 2 a rail resting thereon. The rail is connected with the tie through the medium of a spike 3 and a connecting plate 4.

It is well known that a railroad rail is subjected to a violent pounding, jarring or vibratory action by the travel of a train over the same and this is liable to loosen the spikes. In order to minimize the tendency of the jarring or vibration of the rails to be so transmitted to the spikes as to tend to loosen the latter, I employ a spike structure which is so connected with the flange of the rail as to provide a yielding or flexible connection between the rail and the spike, which structure will compensate for the jarring, poundmg or vibratlon of the rail and thus prevent the spike from becoming loosened. In the embodiment of my invention shown Specification of Letters Fatent.

Patented Dec. 6, 19211.

1920. Serial. No. 372,152.

in Fig. 1, the spike l is made with a head having a partly spherical or spheroidal shape. The connectingplate 4 may be a drop forging made annular in form and having a portion of its opening formed to provide a partly spherical seat 6 for the partly spherical spike head and the remaining por tion 7 of said opening has dimensions which are appreciably greater than the diameter of the spike adjacent to the head of the latter, so as topermit said plate to move relatively to the spike. If desired the portion 7 of the opening in the connecting plate may be made somewhat flaring, as shown in Fig.1.

The connecting plate 4 serves as a mounting for the partly spherical head of the spike and is disposed in an inclined position, resting freely upon the flange of the rail 2 and against the tie and in order that said plate shall be freely movableto rock on the rail fiangeand on the tie, its peripheral portion is rounded as at 4. The spike is thus disposed near to but spaced from the flange of the raileand its head is so connected,through the plate 4, with the rail and the tie, that when the rail is subjected to jarring or vibration by the train, such relative universal movement between said plate and thespikehead will be permitted as will relieve the spike of the effects of the vibration or" the rail by absorbing part 11.

In Fig. 6,.the spike 12 of the twisted type is shown, said spike being made with a partly spherical head13 to have universal -mounting in the connecting plate 4 or 4,

and said head 13 is made with a wrench recelving socket 14.

Var1ous changes might be made n the details of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting its scope and hence I do not wish to restrict myself to the ise d a l h rein s t forth- Letters-Patent, is

1. In rail fastening means, the combination with a railway rail and a tie, of a plate bridging from a base flange oi the rail to the tie and said plate having an opening with a partly spherical Wall portion, and a spike,

passing through the opening in said plate and entering the tie, said spike being spaced from the edge of the rail flange and having a partly spherical head seated on the partly spherical wall of the opening in said Plate.

'2. In rail fastening means, the combination with a railway rail and a tie, of a plate bridging from a flange of the rail to the tie said plate having an openin the upper portion of the wall of said opening being partly spherical and the lower portion of the wall of said opening being flaring, and a spike passing throi'wh the opening in said plate and entering t e tie, said spike being spaced from the edge of the rail flange and having a partly spherical head seated on the a partly spherical portion of the wall of the opening in said plate.

v 3. In rail fastening means, the combination with a railway rail and a tie, of an annular plate bridging from a flange of the rail to the tie and having a rounded peripheral portion the wall of the opening in said annular plate having a partly spherical portion, and a spike passing through said annular plate and spaced from the flange of the rail, said spike having a partly spherical head seated on the partly spherical portion of the plate.

In testimony whereof I have signed'this specification in the presence of at subscribing witness. 1

ETHAN I. DODDS.

fitness: i

EDWIN S. RYOE. 

